There are many different types of rotary engines having relatively complex valves or gating mechanisms. Many of these rotary engines have rotating members that are eccentrically positioned on a shaft so as to form chambers within a housing. An example of such a rotary engine is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,916 entitled "Rotary Engine", and issuing to Riney on Sep. 28, 1993. Other rotary engines may have a variety of valves which are mechanically complicated and difficult to control or time that may require periodic adjustment. For example, a rotary engine having a hinged valve arrangement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,704 entitled "Hinge Valved Rotary Engine With Separate Compression And Expansion Sections" issuing to Slaughter on Aug. 29, 1989. Other rotary engines may have gate systems or valves that are partially external to the rotary engine, resulting in a relatively large rotary engine that is not compact or of convenient shape. For example, the rotary engine disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,298 entitled "Concentric Rotary Engine" issuing to Schulz on Mar. 29, 1977. While these prior rotary engines are suitable for the applications for which they have been designed, they are often relatively complex and are not easily packaged or conducive to a compact design that can easily fit within a small space. Additionally, the relatively complicated gating or valve mechanisms often result in timing problems, jamming, or the necessity of frequent and inconvenient adjustments. Additionally, often it is not convenient to couple the output of the rotary engine to other devices so that other types of work may be performed with the rotational movement created by the rotary engine. Accordingly, there is a need for a rotary engine that is well balanced and runs smoothly, that needs little adjustment, and that can be placed in a compact space. There is also a need for a rotary engine that facilitates coupling to other devices for performing work.